When Gerda Weissmann Klein speaks at the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium in Battle Creek on Monday, April 16, 2007, 10:30 AM EDT, students from all over the state of Michigan and throughout the United States will be able to view her presentation. The event will be streamed LIVE over the Internet and Internet2 by Merit Network and will be available in RealMedia, Windows Media, Quicktime, and MPEG2 Multicast format.

Being able to see and hear a survivor from the Holocaust is a pretty significant event in anyone’s life. Everyone that goes will get something out of it. I am looking forward to listening to what Gerda has to say.

Please tell your parents, friends and family that they can also hear Gerda Weissmann Klein speak in Battle Creek on April 16. Gerda will give a second talk at 7:00 PM in the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium. This event is free to the public, thanks to support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. There is no need for tickets or prior reservations.

Gerda Klein’s visit to our community will provide students and residents of Southwest Michigan with what may be a last opportunity to hear, see, and ask questions of the victims and eyewitnesses of the Holocaust. All but the child survivors of the Holocaust are now in their late seventies and eighties. Many of these individuals are less active than they once had been or in poor health. As the surviving generation grows smaller and there are fewer eyewitnesses, the challenge of ensuring the memory of the Holocaust intensifies.

Nikki, Adv. Lit. 1st block
I’m am really excited to see Mrs. Klein speak about her book and experiences. It is so important to remeber and this is a great way for us to understand and grasp what happened. This is just a wonderful opportunity. Thank you.

I am excited to see Gerda and I think that it will be a great experience to hear her actually speak of her experiences. I think that reading her book “All But My Life” was a great experience and will make hearing her speak that much more personal to all of us.

Mary Jane, Adv. Lit 1st Block
I am excited to see Gerda speak of her experience after reading her story. It will be cool to see her up close and in person. I’ve really enjoyed her writings so I am positive I will also enjoy her presentation. Her words in her book have moved me to tears, so I can only imagine what her spoken words can do also. This will be an enlightening experience for everyone.

Jenna, 1st Block, Advanced Lit
I feel that it is very important for students to go hear a Holocaust survivor speak. The Holocaust is an event that should never be forgotten. Educating our generation about the Holocaust will enable us to teach generations after us about it when all of the Holocaust survivors are gone. This will help prevent an event worth remembering from being forgotten.

Gerda’s presentation will be very interesting. Reading All But My Life was kind of like getting background information for the real thing. We will be able to get first hand insight to questions we’ve acquired through reading the book.